Read Online 9111 Sharp Road by Eric R. Johnston - Free Book Online Page A

afloat, I could make out the words, “ Father…trying…ill…she…open…door .” That was Joey’s voice. Who was he talking to? Audrey? What was he talking about?
    Soon a rope dropped down. “Just grab it, Amanda, and hold on tight.” I did as he asked, but I could feel it slipping through my hands as he pulled me up.
    “Joey, I can’t hold it. My hands are slipping.”
    He continued pulling me up, and by some miracle, I managed to make it all the way to the top.
    There were actually three people there. Two of them I expected—Joey and Audrey. But there was a third I wouldn’t have guess ed in a million years: Mr. Hatch.
    “Mr. Hatch?” I asked, completely out of breath and dumbstruck. I was on my hands and knees, coughing. All three of them were talking over each other, so I couldn’t hear anything they were saying.
    I then managed to get up. My clothes were soaked and sticking to me and covered in slime. I was one slippery mess .
    “Mr. Hatch? Joey, Audrey? What are you three doing here?”
    Mr. Hatch spoke. “Amanda, we need your help.”
    The other two nodded.
    “You need my help? For what?” I asked incredulously. “I just nearly drowned myself in an abandoned well for no reason I can explain. What good would I be to you guys?”
    None of them answered immediately. The silence was awkward. Finally Audrey spoke, suggesting that I get a change of clothes. I agree d , and we headed to the house.
    On the way there, Joey talked about how awful things were in Orchard Hills these days, about how the chiroptera were growing ever more dangerous. “Just like how your sister be came victim to them, you know?”
    “Joey, I never told anyone about that but my gramma. How do you and everyone else know about it?”
    A nervous look stole over his features. He looked to Audrey and then Mr. Hatch. Mr. Hatch said, “Your gramma called the school and informed the staff.”
    I thought that over for a second. “Why would she do that? And how did all the students know without you telling them? I know the staff never said a word , because I would have known.”
    “Amanda,” Audrey said, “it doesn’t matter how we all knew about Lori. We just all heard about it, okay? And we are all here for you.”
    There was something totally strange going on here, and I didn’t like it one bit. But by then, we were at the house. Gramma was waiting on the inside the door with a worried expression on her face. She eyed my visitors with what looked like terror i n her eyes. I climbed the st eps. They st ood right behind me on the porch .
    “They can’t come in here,” Gramma said far more seriously than I had ever heard her say anything before.
    “Gramma, I fell down an old well out there. They helped me out. I was lucky they were out there to help.”
    Gramma opened the door , reached out and grabbed my shirt to yank me into the house, but before she could get me in and shut the door, Mr. Hatch grabbed the door, holding it open.
    “We’re coming in too,” he said.
    Gramma pulled me close to her and held me tightly. I couldn’t breathe. “What’s going on here?” I asked. “Let me go.”
    “No, dear. These people are here to do you harm. To do the entire world harm. ”
    “They just saved my life! Let go of me!”
    I started struggling hard, pushing, hitting, and clawing, but I couldn’t get away. Gramma was too big and held me with her large, beefy arms.
    Soon, Joey, Audrey, and Mr. Hatch were helping me break loose from her grip. “You can’t go in there! Don’t open it! Don’t let them out! ” Gr amma cried over and over again.
    Freed, I ran upstairs to ward my bedroom to get a change of clothes, but as soon as I got to the top of the stairs, I saw my sister. She looked just like she had the day we moved here. Perfectly human and very pretty. “Lori?” I must have been mistaken about her death, her transformation to one of those creatures. She was here. She was human. Wishful thinking at its worst as it